We are back for the final season of Game of Thrones. If you read this blog before or any of the TV shows that we discuss, most of the names will be familiar to you. My name is Kent and each week, I will ask some questions that I hope don’t always have a clear cut answer and see what everybody’s opinions are. It’s a super simple concept. Since Chris T. and I do a podcast already called Kenter At Your Own Risk, we are spending the next 6 weeks going on and on about this show before we get back to our typical horror film conversations. If you like what we’re doing, share this with your friends. If you would like to get involved with the blog, please contact me at kent@9deuce.com. Any comments in bold type are made by me. Please enjoy.
This week, we discuss the season 8 premiere called “Winterfell” which was a good reminder of where the characters are currently and what’s to come. Please check out our podcast where we discuss this episode on Kenter At Your Own Risk.
1. Jon now knows who he really is. Will Jon decide to take his “rightful” spot as king? How will Dany react to this news? In your opinion, who is the person with the best argument for the Iron Throne?
Chris T: I was reading reactions on another blog about this very thing and one of the best responses was this dude saying, John is being a general and not a king. Like knowing that the army of the dead (nice call back to Army of Darkness right there) is coming how can anyone give a shit over who is king or who isn’t. To steal from another person’s ideas: Jon is just worried about keeping everybody alive and minimizing casualties. Sansa is thinking about the day after the White Walkers are dealt with, what happens then? I honestly don’t believe Dany is going to be happy about this but who knows? You already have Davos, Tyrion, and Varys talking marriage. Maybe she’ll be happy to finally have someone other than Viserys to be related to, to marry. Jon’s claim is the best. When the King died, Jon’s father would have become king, thus passing it down to Jon, before his Uncle, Viserys, or his Aunt, Daenerys. Gendry is a bastard of Robert Baratheon, who only was able to claim kingship after the rebellion because his aunt was a Targaryen. So, even if Robert was the true king (which will only be determined by who wins), Gendry was unacknowledged and illegitimate, so he has no claim. (How is Jon’s claim any better than Gendry’s? You just said that Gendry’s claim has been unacknowledged by the vast majority, but only 3 people, that we know of, know of Jon’s lineage. That’s kinda splitting hairs when perhaps more people alive know of Gendry’s heritage. This was my dilemma. Also…….this is my boomstick. Like I wasn’t going to acknowledge that.)
Jim: Jon doesn’t want to be king, but what remains to be seen is everyone else’s reaction, not only Danys. I believe that she will be upset, but trust him, as long as those around him aren’t putting their own thoughts in motion. If she sees Sansa, Arya, or anyone else pushing for him to take it…. then she reacts differently. I still think despite her being female, she has a better claim then him, since she’s his aunt? But Gendry has the truest claim, but I’m not sure he has any support. (That is what is captivating about Jon. Even if he doesn’t tell anyone, maybe Sam does. Once word leaks, Sansa Baelish will get working on that. Hell, Sansa could marry Jon now that they aren’t brother and sister. Third cousins ain’t a thang in this world.)
Raylene: I don’t think Jon has ever wanted the throne I believe he didn’t even want to be King of the North or the leader at the wall. I think that Jon’s feelings for Dany will cloud his judgment. He may not even tell her until after a few more hangings. Sansa, I just don’t enjoy so I don’t want her on the throne I’m saying half the Stark family dies. So I go either Bran or Ayra I like both options. (Jon says that he doesn’t want the leadership role, but what does he do every opportunity that he gets? He ends up being a leader. You can do the right thing, think things through properly, all that stuff, but Jon actively seeks to lead a lot as well.)
Chris B: Jon doesn’t want to be king. He just wants to protect his people. I think Dany will be shocked, but probably happy at the same time. She is not the last living Targarean. Currently, I think Gendry actually has the best claim. He is Robert’s only living son. (I can’t imagine that Dany would be happy with this. She’s kinda been a brat far too often. This news will not go well if it reaches her, in my opinion. Unless, of course, Dany suddenly has a Grinch-esque heart problem where it suddenly grows 3 times its normal size. If that happens, maybe Qyburn could help her.)
Kristi: I don’t see Jon taking the throne. I also do not think he will tell Dany right away. If he does, I think she will go on the defense. She’s not exactly understanding. (I agree with you. She doesn’t handle bad news well. To anybody who has been lulled into thinking that Dany is some hero, really go back and analyze what she has done. She is one vindicative lady.)
Kent: I think either Jon or Dany are destined to die by the end of the show. If we go by that assumption, I would think that most would think Jon to be that person. How many times are they gonna tease Glenn’s, I mean Jon’s death? Whichever of these two survive will most likely go for the Iron Throne, providing that it still exists. I think Jon will be urged to go for it and since he knows nothing, he’ll eventually give in. Dany is gonna be all pissy, as is her character. I get why Dany was a lovable figure the first 3 seasons, but if you really pay attention, she’s just as greedy, if not more greedy, than anyone else on this show.
Dany will show her true colors and try to stop Jon, providing they both survive. As for the question about who has the best claim, I hate to say it, but it is Dany in that everybody knows who she is and everybody accepts that. All fo 3 people know who Jon is and not a ton of people truly know who Gendry is. Dany has the easiest path and most acceptable to the public. Technically, it should be Gendry though because the Mad King was overthrown, so Jon and Dany shouldn’t have any claim. If everybody believes everything that Bran Raven has to say, then it becomes far more interesting.
2. Will Bran hold a grudge against Jaime, or will things get smoothed over between those two?
Chris T: I don’t foresee sunshine and roses, but I don’t think that Bran will be bitching too much to Jaime. Shit, how many other people can warg into whoever they want to? (I am just laughing at the thought of Bran suddenly just becoming super whiny or complaining. It’s kinda funny to think about.
Jim: No, Bran Stark is no more. He is the Three-eyed Raven. He can see his words for their truth (or not). I think there are countless others in Winterfell who may have Jaime on a list instead of Bran. (Yes, I would have enjoyed the aforementioned list. I am trying to come up with a list and it’s very short, yet I am sure that you could definitely make a longer list based on my memory. I have Dany on the list. That’s all I have at the moment.)
Raylene: I don’t see Bran as being a vengeful type not since he became the Three-eyed Raven. He may even try to warn Jamie how he’ll die I’m sure he can foresee everyone’s death. (Jaime seems like a character that has been destined to die as a hero despite his rough beginning on the show. Of course, we thought this last season and we’re still pondering it.)
Chris B: Jaime’s actions started a chain of events that led to Bran becoming the Three-eyed Raven. I doubt he holds a grudge. I think he may have problems with some other people (he did kill Danys father after all……) (Do you think if Jaime hadn’t pushed Bran out the window that Bran would have never become the Three-eyed Raven? I seriously have made arguments for both sides. I think that he would have always had the dreams if it was his destiny, but would he have made it there is the big question. He doesn’t have Hodor Hodoring that door. It’s one of those things I should cease wasting time thinking about, but the possibilities are pretty interesting to me.)
Kristi: I don’t think he will hold a grudge. I think his character has grown enough to know he could possibly be of help to them. (Yeah, reason dictates that you have one of the best fighters that switched sides to come help your cause. Now is not the time to be petty. Maybe somebody can relay that message to others.)
Kent: I have to ask the question of whether Jaime truly impacted Bran becoming the Three-eyed Raven. I think arguments could be made either way, and that is what my response hinges on. If you believe that Bran never flees Winterfell and goes on his journey with Hodor, the Reed children, Osha, Rickon, and Max Von Sydow because of having his legs F’d up, then there is no grudge. I think that if Bran had been able-bodied, he probably never makes it to learn of his powers because he would have been treated differently and he may have had the mentality of trying to take on Theon.
Of course, this all gets very deep down the rabbit hole because how much influence did Bran have on so many events may never be explained. Did Bran have Jaime push him out the window? Preposterous? Sure, but he mindf’d poor Hodor so it is entirely possible that he saw all possible outcomes and being a cripple allowed him to get to this point. Infinite possibilities are fascinating.
3. Who was more irritating this week: Sansa or Dany?
Chris T: Dany. Sansa needs to stop showing disunity in her family in public but otherwise, she is thinking ahead. What Sam said to Jon needs to be reiterated, would Dany step back from being Queen to save her people? Maybe the waterfall scene was a hint, and if Dany survives, she and Jon will take off and leave rulership to others. (Only if they have a magic carpet and listen to “A Whole New World” on repeat. Bran could make that happen. I know that time is of the essence, but you’d think that they’d have a council meeting and discuss what the current needs are while thinking about a potential future. Winning this war and then have no food kinda seems self-defeatist.)
Jim: Dany…. doesn’t seem to be trying to win over the North at all, just waiting for Jon to smooth it over it seems. Sansa reacted appropriately to everything, and leaderlike I might add. Also, I am the only one who thought it was weird she didn’t seem to care if the dragon would accept Jon? The viewers knew it would, but I’m surprised with her glibness.
(Isn’t it weird though, that Dany is waiting for Jon to smooth it over? That isn’t a very Dany type of move. I am also glad that you brought up her seeming lack of care about Jon interacting with the dragon. As fans, we know stuff so we accept it. She doesn’t know who Jon really is. It seems like she would know more about her family’s connections with dragons and how it may be dangerous for random people to get too close to a dragon. It was a scene of convenience, or lazy writing, whichever you prefer.)
Raylene: They both are fairly annoying. Dany thinks everyone should just fall in line with her being Queen because let’s face it, she does have the ultimate regulator those dragons. Sansa just being the spiteful bitch she has always been, simply because she has been through hell but so have others.
(It’s even in the song at the very beginning: “Mount up!” and she hops on those dragons. This has been my issue with both characters. Dany acts like she is better than everybody else and deserves something in life, typically millennial attitude. Sansa is equally bad in that she refused to listen to reason all for the sake of being a proper lady and wanting to be the queen despite several warnings. She got in too deep of a mess that she had a hand in, and then plays the victim. Pretty much every female character on this show has been a victim, but Sansa insists on dwelling and making sure you hear about it.)
Chris B: This is a tough one. I’m going to go with Dany. I actually have no problem with how Sansa acted. She’s been essentially a prisoner to kings and queens her whole life, and now she essentially has been told she has to accept this new queen. Plus, Sansa hasn’t seen the army of the dead, so she may not fully understand how screwed they are. Dany was acting like a spoiled child, so, you know, the same as always.
(Sansa has had a hand in some of her bad luck and acts like she’s the only one who has been through it or that she has had it worse. I think that is what grinds people’s gear about her. And why not be forced to accept this new queen? That’s another problem. Why is she so special to not accept a new ruler when everybody else is supposed to fall in line with any number of issues?)
Kristi: I’m going with Dany here. She has become too arrogant. We get it, you have dragons. That’s awesome but you are annoying as shit now. (I just need to say that I love this response because it is short and really sums everything up. Dany would be a person that would ensure all of her social media profile pictures were of her dragons, just to annoy people.)
Kent: I think everybody has summed up why it was Dany, but I will present the case of why Sansa actually annoyed me more. Dany has been this was almost all show, but we were blinded by her story. Sansa has had it far worse than Dany and is thinking ahead. She has a lot of Littlefinger in her, and that sentence makes me giggle. She is too busy flaunting whatever power that she thinks that she has and talks down to people far too often. There was no reason to be that rude to Tyrion. He was never mean to her and she was awfully dismissive of him. It’s not that she didn’t have a point, it’s how she did it. She definitely won this week’s resting bitch face award.
4. Will Euron impregnate Cersei? More importantly, why were the elephants so important to Cersei?
Chris T: No because they are both going to die. The elephants are important because while she thinks the super ballistae will counter the dragons, she needed something to counter the Dothraki. 20,000 men are a drop in a bucket compared to the numbers against them, the elephants would’ve provided an ace in the hole to overcome that numbers deficiency. (Yeah, you went in depth on your explanation on the podcast and what you said made a lot of sense. This is also my ploy to get people to listen to the podcast. Here’s this week’s episode of Kenter At Your Own Risk.)
Jim: No, the prophecy says she would have three, and they would all die. Whether she is or isn’t pregnant is irrelevant. But truthfully, I don’t believe that she is, or will be pregnant. Elephants were the only thing she could size more closely to a dragon…. that’s about the only reason I could see as to her obsession with them, either that or she is so monetarily focused, just feeling she didn’t get what she paid for. (Yeah, she’s a Lannister so I agree with your last sentiment. The prophecy though is what I immediately thought about with her pregnancy talk this season and last. Maggy’s prophecy matters. Was Margaery the other queen? In 5 weeks, we should hopefully know. Cersei always commented on how pretty Sansa is. Just a thought.)
Raylene: I kinda hope she would even though she’s the villain I know the prophet said only 3. Elephants can take out many people. Look how they are when we play the Lord of the rings video games they are hosses. (I actually brought up the game on the podcast before reading the response. That’s pretty funny. I think it was called LoTR Conquest, or something like that. Fun as hell.)
Chris B: Unless I am mistaken, isn’t she already pregnant? I’m going to go with no. Also, Elephants are awesome, and Dany doesn’t have a Legolas to help her. (Sigh. You made me said by mentioning the Tara of the LoTR universe. For those who don’t get the Tara reference, go watch The Walking Dead or Sons of Anarchy. Both are applicable. I also want those orange circus peanut candies now.)
Kristi: I thought she already said she was pregnant. I do not believe she is or will be though. Let’s face it, she’s no spring chicken. I have no idea what’s up with the elephant thing. Other than the fact that they are awesome, I got nothing. (No, you’re right, elephants are awesome. They seem like they would be badass in this realm. I don’t blame her for being upset.)
Kent: This is a fun one. Yes, Cersei told Jaime that she was pregnant last season with his baby. Was that the truth or a lie to manipulate Jaime? She acknowledged to Jaime that she used the pregnancy to help persuade Tyrion. With Cersei, everything is on the table, including her and Euron on a table I would assume. I don’t think that she is pregnant, and even if she was, it wouldn’t matter. The prophecy is what I am going to believe, not the words of a lying Lannister. Jesus, I almost forgot to discuss the elephants, my favorite part of the whole episode. All I could think of was the Nanmen in the Dynasty Warriors video games. I think deep down inside, Cersei wanted to capture a dragon and have food for it, or she wanted to be a circus ringleader. Hmmm, so many possibilities.
5. What was your favorite scene from this week?
Chris T: I liked Jim, Chris B’s, and Kristi’s answers so I’ll go with one no one has said yet; Euron’s sweet post-coital ruminations with Cersei in her bedroom. He finally reached his goal so he can die happy now. (Yeah, that death feels incredibly inevitable, within the next 2 weeks I would speculate. I must admit, the guy is the type of guy that I typically hate in real life, but he’s so damn funny on this show. You also seem partial to people with similar first names as you….and Jim.)
Jim: It sounds silly, but despite everything I loved about the episode (which is everything except the easy button freeing of Yara) I’ll say the new title sequence. Took me by surprise right from the first note, and set the tone for me to enjoy everything else (except Theon). (Yeah, you weren’t alone in your love of the new title sequence. They did a great job with it. Chris wouldn’t shut up about it on the podcast. Okay, maybe he talked about it for a minute, but still. Yeah, it’s definitely solid.)
Raylene: I enjoyed the last scene with Bran and Jamie a lot. It’s like “I’m still here you stupid bastard”. Plus, Tyrion making the penis jokes were solid. (I liked how they really offered up some good comedy because I fear we won’t get much moving forward, other than The Hound talking smack to various people.)
Chris B: There were several, but I think my favorite was the very end when Jaime saw bran. There was no dialogue, but the music and body language were awesome. Plus, I actually enjoyed when Sansa and Tyrion spoke. She has changed so much in the last few seasons. (The way that they did that simple, but great last scene, I was very impressed by it.)
Kristi: I enjoyed when the kid started screaming and he instantly got stabbed and light up. It made me jump. Also, the “I’ve always had blue eyes” moment. I got a good laugh out of that. (The blue eyes thing had me laughing. So I argue that the Ned Umber scene is definitely a wink or not to The Thing. I have not gotten any people that are willing to support my claim. Still, I will provide a scene. There are other scenes. But there was a freakish scream and fire. That kinda sums up The Thing.)
Kent: Seeing Arya, Gendry, and The Hound together was an absolute treat for me. I still think that Gendry and Arya get together before this show ends. I also loved the callbacks to the first episode. Lots of cool things for the fans.
Final Thoughts – What one question do you want answered the most from this season?
Chris T: It might change week by week, but where is Melisandre? If we are going to get Azor’Azai (the prince who was promised) in this season, you would expect her to be there for it. My biggest question though has to be how can they wind this up and please me? (It’s always about pleasing YOU, Chris. Yeah, Azor Ahai is my real answer, despite whatever I actually write for my response. It’s gonna be the Hound, just sayin’. I think there is a 75% satisfaction possibility for you. You aren’t nearly as bitchy and nitpicky as I am, so I imagine you should be pleased.)
Jim: If it was so easy to free Yara, why did the story arc even happen? I was waiting for at least a confrontation with Euron, instead, Theon the newly minted killer archer swooped in, got headbutted (scenes only saving grace) and rescued Yara. Hoping there is a better payoff than that waiting. The big question I want to know is, how do we get Gilly on the Iron Throne? In all seriousness, it’s the Clegainebowl and which loose ends are they going to tie up and how. This fan base will not stand for too many loose ends, and HBO cannot have another Sopranos…. too many people invested. 8:1 had HBO’s highest numbers ever, as an example of this.
(Okay, let’s talk about the Yara rescue. That was hilarious. I feel like they wanted to show us Yara one last time and potentially wrap her story up. Maybe we see her again, but if we don’t, we know what happened with her now. It was just too freaking easy. Gilly could surprise us and be a red priestess. She did know how to work with fire way better than Sam. I want to say that we, as fans, need to accept that there will be loose ends and we need to be open-minded about it. You also know that coming from me, that would just be a lie. They need to really nail the big ones at the very least.)
Raylene: It’s not really a question I want to see more Hound and Mountain interactions. Plus, will the ice dragon attack his sibling dragons? Yes, I know me and those damn dragons. (I’ll focus more on The Hound and Mountain aspect, possibly Cleganebowl, as the internet calls it. It’s not necessary to do it, but the fans will be pissed if it doesn’t happen, no matter how logical the story could be without. I feel that fans need to see The Hound overcome his brother or else it will be something people are bitching about for years to come. People like me.)
Chris B: I want to know what’s going to happen with Bronn. Now that he’s been contracted to kill the Lannister brothers, is he actually going to do it? (This was a big topic for us on the podcast that got us thinking. If this was wrestling, I could see Bronn “turning heel” on Jaime and Tyrion. If the series had more time, maybe. The thing is, with a severe shortage of time to go farther with it, I don’t think it exists. It’s too late in the Game to have Bronn become a despised character. Yet, despite my logic, I’m not sure and I am really curious how it goes down. I would like to see Bronn hook up with Sansa. He would just go hang out with Tyrion and Pod when she is nagging him. It would be fun.)
Kent: I need updates on a few people. We will see Brienne again, and I don’t care about her. There are 5 characters that I would like to know what they are doing. 1. Melisandre is obvious and Chris T mentioned her. She was too big of a character in the show. I think that she will be relevant, and my guess is she will be around to proclaim someone as Azor Ahai, and I believe that to be The Hound. She could also play an even bigger role.
2. Daario Naharis was last seen in Meereen. He is a character that doesn’t need to be shown again, I can accept where his story ended. Still, he was fun and if Dany ends up winning, we may see him again.
3. Quaithe is one of the most fascinating characters in the show. There’s a part of me that says that she was set to serve her small purpose and be done, but due to her mystery, I would love to know something more about her before this ends. I know that she is a very minor character and I doubt that we will see her again.
4. Jaqen H’ghar is another character like Daario and Quaithe that served their purpose, and I could accept never seeing him again. Still, I feel that Arya’s story will feel empty without a follow up on Jaqen. Damn these mysterious characters, but they keep me wanting more.
5. Meera Reed is still possibly Jon’s sister. It seems more and more unlikely that they will bother with this. If they wanted to, I feel like it would be done. Still, I hate how she left the show and I truly feel that they need to give us some kind of epilogue for her. She did so much for this realm if you think about it. She deserves a better exit.
Just for clarity sake, I don’t own the logo or image of the Iron Throne in my logo for this blog. They would be the property of HBO, so I am using them for review purposes only. Please support the creators and HBO by subscribing to HBO or buying the seasons in some format.